We're Safe, We're Home
by JenRar
Summary: Ranger is gone for months on a mission and is in bad shape when he returns. Stephanie helps care for him. Later, Stephanie gets in trouble, and Ranger must shake out of his stupor to help find her. Rated T for some language & adult situations.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: JE owns them. I do not._

~oooOOOooo~

**We're Safe. We're Home.**

~oOo~

**Chapter 1  
Stephanie's POV**

_Brrrrrrrrrrng!_

I flung my arm out and knocked the monster off my nightstand. Whoever invented alarm clocks should be shot. I, Stephanie Michelle Plum, am anything but a morning person. Don't talk to me before I've had coffee and—if I'm lucky—a couple of Boston Cremes, as well. Don't even think about trying to reason with me until my second cup.

I stumbled to the kitchen and saw that my breakfast fairy, known to most of Trenton as Ranger, had already visited this morning. There on the counter was a Tasty Pastry bag and a coffeepot full of hot, steamy goodness. I poured myself a cup, opened up the bag to pull out a donut, and plopped myself down on a stool. My eyes saw the folded note by the bag before my brain fully processed it. I set the coffee down and grabbed it, smiling. All it said on the outside, in beautiful, perfect script, was: _Babe_.

~oOo~

_Babe,_

_Hope you had sweet dreams._

_See you at the office at 10:00?_

_xoxo_

_R._

~oOo~

I smiled, knowing he'd crept in here while I slept to leave me my favorite thing in the world. Then I smiled harder, realizing that in the month since Joe and I had broken up permanently, donuts had fallen to a distant second in my list of favorite things. In their place? One Ricardo Carlos Manoso.

I hadn't told him how I felt yet. I wasn't sure he was ready to hear it. Plus, we had a good thing going, and I certainly didn't want to mess it up. He'd once told me his life didn't lend itself to a relationship. It had devastated me at the time, but whether he realized it or not, we were solidly in a relationship now. We'd grown progressively closer over the last month.

Most of the time, we spent the nights at either my apartment or his apartment on RangeMan's seventh floor. We had dinner together almost every night, either eating Ella's cooking in his apartment or out at Pino's, Shorty's, or Rossini's. We also met for lunch every day that he wasn't in a meeting or gone for work. Last but not least, almost every morning that I woke up alone in my apartment, I found coffee and donuts on the counter.

I looked at the clock on the wall and screeched. It was already nine fifteen, and I hadn't even showered yet. I stuffed the rest of the donut in my mouth, downed the coffee, threw a piece of a leftover pizza crust and some raisins into Rex's cage, and dashed off to the shower. I washed as fast as I could and then dried my hair and threw it up in a ponytail. I pulled on jeans, a tank top, and my tennis shoes, grabbed my purse, and flew out the door at nine fifty. If I was lucky, I'd be there before Ranger.

I pulled up in front the office at nine fifty-eight. I wouldn't admit that I broke a few speed limits on the way over. That would just give my mother one more thing to "Why me?" about. After grabbing my purse, I walked into the office.

"Skinny-ass white girl, where's the donuts?" yelled Lula.

I rolled my eyes. "Sorry, ladies. Woke up late and barely made it here by ten."

Connie laughed. "Have an appointment you don't want to miss?"

I felt him enter the room before I heard or saw him. The hairs stood up on the back of my neck and I felt a zip of electricity run through my whole body.

"Ladies. Babe," Ranger said, putting his hand on my lower back, his fingers skimming up under my shirt to rub bare skin.

"Mmm, morning, Ranger," I said with a big smile on my face. "Connie, any files for me?"

"Not today, Steph. Ranger, here are two for you."

I swore if Connie didn't take a deep breath soon, she would pass out. Lord knew how Lula was still standing. Ranger definitely had that affect on people.

"Babe, can I see you outside?" he asked quietly.

"Sure," I answered.

Waving to Connie and Lula, I said, "See you girls tomorrow. Connie, call me if something comes up. I really need to pay rent."

Turning, I followed Ranger out the door. I walked toward the alley, knowing without thinking it was where he was headed. As soon as I turned the corner, he pulled me to him, spinning me around and catching my head with his hand before it hit the wall.

Before I could blink, I was pressed tight between the bricks and Ranger's just-as-solid chest and hips. My hands automatically moved up to fist in his hair, drawing his head down so our lips met in a fury of emotion. His tongue came out and darted into my mouth to capture mine, twisting around each other. Our breath came in gasps, and I moaned as I felt my panties dampen from my arousal.

Ranger took advantage of my trembling body, and with the hand that wasn't being used as a pillow, he reached down to pull my leg up so it wrapped around his thigh, pressing me tight against him. He rocked his hips into mine, and before I knew it, I was thrusting right back at him. We were basically having sex standing up...in a public place...fully clothed. Soon, he released my leg, and our kisses gradually became slower and more tender, although still full of passion.

"I have a meeting at lunch. Want to have dinner and stay at my place tonight?" Ranger asked quietly.

I nodded, unable to fully trust my voice yet, and with quick kisses on my lips and forehead, he took a few steps and vanished around the corner.

I heard his truck start up, and by the time I came out of the alley, Connie and Lula were pressed up against the glass, waving at me and laughing. I rolled my eyes and gave them my best 'Burg glare before getting in my car and driving away.

The rest of the day passed in a haze. I spent time at home, folding some laundry, cleaning up around the apartment, and other things just to keep busy and pass the time before heading over to RangeMan at six o'clock.

Finally, at four thirty, I grabbed my purse and headed out the door. Fifteen minutes later, I was waving to the guys in the control room.

"Hi, guys," I said to Hal and Lester. "Ranger in?"

They nodded and Lester added, "He's in a meeting, Beautiful. Said to tell you when you got here to head upstairs, and he'd be up when he could."

"Thanks," I said, turning toward the elevator.

Using my key fob, I let myself in to the apartment. I grabbed a beer from the fridge and flopped down on the couch to watch some TV, kicking my shoes off.

The next thing I knew, I awoke to a soft caress on my cheek.

"Wake up, Babe," Ranger said softly before picking me up and settling me back onto his lap.

"I could get used to this," I sighed.

Ranger chuckled. "You slept right through Ella bringing up dinner, Steph. Did you get any sleep last night?"

I thought back. "Not really. I was too keyed up. I couldn't stop my mind from going a hundred miles an hour. Something is worrying me, but I don't have a clue what it is, so I couldn't fix it and get to sleep," I admitted.

Right then, my stomach decided to let us know I was hungry.

Ranger laughed, his head falling back and a huge grin splitting his face. God, what that sight and sound did to me. "Let's feed the beast, Steph." He stood me on my feet before standing up himself.

We grabbed the plates Ella'd left, and I laughed when I looked at the difference in our dinners. Ranger's plate was piled high with chicken, wild rice, and half a plateful of steamed veggies. On the other hand, mine was filled with a huge piece of bubbly, cheesy, saucy lasagna. There were also two pieces of garlic bread. We sat down on the couch close to each other to eat, and the first bite of my dinner had me moaning.

"Babe."

I laughed. That word had so many meanings, and I knew this one was, _If you keep that up, I'm going to forget any boundaries we have, strip you naked, and fuck you right here on the couch._

"Sorry, Ranger, but you have no idea what you're missing."

I picked up the last bite of the first piece of bread, dipped it in the sauce, and offered it to him. I expected him to shake his head no, but he surprised me and grabbed my wrist lightly, bringing my hand up to his mouth. His lips wrapped around my fingers, pulling the bread out of my grasp. He kept it there, and soon, his tongue snaked out, and he pulled my fingers into his mouth to suck all the sauce off.

"I know what I'm missing, Babe. Thanks for sharing," he said, giving me a wolf-grin.

It was several minutes before I breathe normally, let alone eat. The tease...

We ate quietly, and after washing the dishes together, we settled back on the couch with me resting in his lap. We talked about our days, and I admitted to being bored out of my skull at home with no skips.

"Steph, next time, come here and hang out with the guys that are off, or run some searches if you want. Even if bounty hunting's slow, there's always something for you to do around here. Promise me," he said.

I nodded and, changing the subject, asked about his meeting.

"Just a new client—a bank—but it all went pretty smoothly. The manager came in and we set up security for the bank, as well as for his home. It's a decent-sized account, so that's good."

Ranger had been opening up more and more the last month, so I was only a little surprised at how easily he had answered my question. It used to be that trying to drag any information out of him would result in me storming out in frustration.

We spent the rest of the evening snuggling on the couch watching movies, and finally, at eleven o'clock, he stood up and carried me to the bedroom. Handing me a T-shirt from his drawer, he pushed me to the bathroom. I quickly took care of the necessities, pulled on the shirt, and then scooted out to the bed. Ranger was in the bathroom for less than half the time before came out in his black boxers and sank into the bed beside me. He pulled me back against him so I was lying with my back plastered to his front.

I was just about to drift off to sleep when I heard him whisper against the side of my head in Spanish.

What he'd said had sounded sweet and loving, and as I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep, I wondered what it meant.

~oOo~

The next thing I knew, Ranger was shaking me softly awake.

"Babe, wake up." When I didn't move or open my eyes, he said, "Stephanie, I need you to wake up now. It's important."

"Whattimeisit?" I mumbled.

"It's three in the morning, Babe," he said as he sighed.

I shot up. "Ranger, what's wrong?"

"I got called an hour ago, Steph. A last-minute mission. I have to be out of here in ten minutes."

I began to cry, clutching onto him for dear life. "Where? How long? Is it dangerous?"

He rubbed my back, holding me tight against him. "I can't tell you where, Babe. Hopefully just a couple of months, but it could be four or five. And yes, it'll probably be a little bit dangerous. But I _will_ come home to you, Stephanie. Don't give up on me. I _will_ come home."

He held me for several more minutes as I cried and then kissed me fiercely. The kisses turned tender once more, and he finally rested his forehead against mine.

In a quiet whisper, his voice was shaky. "Get some rest, Babe. Stay here while I'm gone. Work for RangeMan part-time to help out with the bills. Let the guys take care of you. Please. For me. I..." His voice broke. "I love you, Stephanie. I didn't want to tell you now, but fuck, I wanted you to know, just in case."

Barely able to get the words out, I told him, "I love you, too, Ranger. Come home to me as quickly as you possibly can."

He pushed me gently down to the bed, pulling the covers up to my chin, and after one last soft caress of his hand against my cheek, he turned to leave. "Don't get too crazy," he said quietly.

"Don't get shot," I said in our standard response.

With that, he walked quietly out the door of the bedroom. I heard him pick up a bag in the hall and let himself out the apartment door. Only then did I let myself fall apart.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer still applies._

~oooOOOooo~

**Chapter 2  
Four Months Ago  
Stephanie's POV**

The night Ranger left, I cried myself hoarse and finally fell asleep sometime after the sun had already come up. The minute I heard the door close behind him, I felt a pain in my chest, buried deep inside. It was like a jagged knife had ripped through my heart and opened up a hole I knew wouldn't heal until Ranger was safe in my arms again.

I didn't hear anything until I felt the bed give under me and I was lifted into strong arms.

My eyes flew open and I said, "Ranger? Was it just a dream?"

Tank looked down into my eyes. "No, Bomber. It wasn't a dream. You need to get up. You've been in here for two days. You need to get up and eat something or you're going to make yourself sick."

"I don't care," I whined. "Ranger's gone and I don't know when, or if, he'll be back." The tears suddenly started up again.

"Stephanie, listen to me. Put these shorts on and come out to the living room. Please."

Dammit, he'd used that word. He and Ranger both knew if they said that, I'd do anything for them. I nodded and climbed off his lap. Tank quickly left the room. I went into the bathroom to take care of necessities and then pulled the shorts on and headed to the living room.

When I got to the hall, Lester quickly pulled me into a hug and led me to the other room. I saw Tank sitting on the couch, and Hal and Bobby were in the chairs at the bar. Lester handed me a plate with some scrambled eggs, bacon, and two Boston Creme donuts on it, along with a mug of hot coffee. I stood there, holding the food and coffee, completely at a loss and feeling the hole inside my chest growing larger with each passing second.

~oooOOOooo~

**Lester's POV**

I gave Steph her food and waited for her to take a seat at the bar or on the couch. After a minute of silence without her moving an inch, I looked at her face and saw emotion after emotion flying past. The pain, sorrow, worry, and panic were the strongest, and I knew that right then, more than almost anything else, she needed comfort. Desperately. Stephanie was a friend to all the guys here at RangeMan. She was our little sister. We would protect her with our lives. Seeing her like this was breaking my heart. I made a decision and sat down on the couch, pulling her down on my lap to eat. I held her, comforting her and trying to heal her spirit and her soul as the food healed her body.

~oooOOOooo~

**Steph's POV**

The guys were quiet as I ate, and although my stomach felt a bit better, the ache in my chest was still there. I couldn't taste the food at all. As good as it felt to be held by Lester, as much as I loved him, he still wasn't Ranger.

Once I'd finished as much as I could possibly could with my stomach in knots, Tank took the plate to the kitchen and came back with an envelope. My tears started fresh when I saw the outside: _Babe._

I took it and crushed it to my chest, my sobs echoing loudly in the quiet apartment. Lester wrapped his arms around me and held me close for several minutes until I could calm down.

"Thanks, guys. His leaving this time hurt more than any of the times before. He—" I couldn't bring myself to say the words. "We admitted our feelings for each other right as he was getting ready to leave."

I looked surprised when I saw them all nodding.

"We know, Beautiful," Lester spoke up quietly. "Before he left the building, he met with the four of us for a minute. He told us to come check on you today if we hadn't seen you. He told us that he loved you with all his heart...that we were to take care of you no matter what so he could come home and hear you say it to him again."

"I was worried about leaving you here this long," Bobby piped up, "but Ranger assured me if you were given a couple of days, you would be strong enough to read his letter. He told me you would let us help take care of you. I'm trusting you to not let his words be a lie."

I nodded quietly. "Thanks, guys. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Lester poked me in the side. "Ahh, you're stuck with us, Steph. We'll be a thorn in your side until Bossman comes home."

I laughed and Tank said sternly, "Now, can we go back downstairs and trust you to read the letter and follow his wishes?"

"Yeah. Not for me, but I'll do it for Carlos."

Their eyes widened when I called him by name, but then they smiled.

"Good. We'll see you downstairs in a little bit, then," Tank said.

The other guys nodded their agreement, and Lester shuffled me off his lap to the couch before heading out of the apartment with the others.

Pulling the blanket from the back of the couch, I wrapped it around my legs before opening the envelope. I spent thirty minutes there on the couch, letting the tears pour down my cheeks as I read his letter four times.

I didn't know how I was going to do this. I didn't think I was strong enough...but if Ranger had that much faith in me, I knew I'd be okay. I stood and made my way slowly to the bedroom, where I put the letter on the nightstand. Then, I headed to the shower to get ready to face the future.

~oooOOOooo~

**One Month Ago**

I pounded on Lester's door. "Come on, Les. It's six o'clock. Time to run! You're the only one not up."

When I heard him yell that he'd be out in ten minutes, I headed back to the control room to wait for him.

Lester, Bobby, Hal, Tank, and I had been running every day for the last three months. I was finally able to keep up with them almost all the time now, running up to seven miles every day without a problem. There was another big change too, though. I never went out—to run, to chase a skip, to dinner with my family, anywhere—without carrying, and the gun was always loaded.

When Lester finally stumbled into the room, we teased him for a minute before heading out. By the time we got back, we decided to split up and shower before meeting in the conference room.

I headed up to the apartment and stood under a hot shower for a few minutes before getting out and dressing in my RangeMan boy shorts and bra, cargoes, RangeMan T-shirt, and boots. I dried my hair as best I could, pulled it up into a ponytail, stuck the SEAL hat on my head, and ran downstairs with ten minutes to spare.

When everyone was around the table, we went over plans for the day, looking at what skips we had, what meetings needed attending, and other odd jobs. After taking care of work talk, we made plans to meet for lunch at Shorty's. Finally, Hal volunteered to do more self-defense after lunch, Tank made plans to meet up at the gun range with me, and Lester said he would work with me more on B-and-E protocol, as well as picking handcuffs and unknotting knots.

I had come a long way in the three months Ranger had been gone. Even though I still cried myself to sleep every night, I was now strong enough to pull through my day-to-day struggles. Ranger's confidence in me, because of how much he believed in me—even in his physical absence—was where I drew most of my strength, and I used that strength to stay strong and focused on life as I went through each day.

Pairing off, Lester and I headed to the bonds office to pick up any new files. We stopped at the Tasty Pastry to get some donuts for the girls and stayed for an hour, talking and laughing, before heading out to start the rest of the day

~oooOOOooo~

**Present Day**

It had been four months since Ranger left, and every day brought a new weight down on my chest while waiting for his return.

Lester and I were dropping off the latest skip at the police station when his phone rang.

"Yo."

He was quiet for a minute, listening.

"What? Okay, I'll drop her off and run the papers back to the office before heading back there myself. Thanks, Tank."

"What's going on, Les?" I asked quickly.

"Ranger's back, Beautiful. I'm going to drop you off before taking these slips back to Connie."

It felt like my heart shot into my throat when I asked, "Is he okay?"

"I don't know, Steph. I think Tank would have mentioned it if he wasn't."

I nodded and fell silent for the short drive back to RangeMan.

Yelling a thanks at Lester, I ran to the elevator. When I got to Ranger's office, I burst in without knocking. "Is it true? Is he back?"

Tank nodded, his face blank. "Yeah, Steph, it's true. He's upstairs."

I turned to run out the door, but Bobby grabbed my arm. "Sit down, Bomber. We need to talk about a couple of things."

I stared at the guys, my eyes filling with tears.

Lester came walking in, saw my expression, and picked me up in his arms. He set me down on his lap like he had so many months ago. "What's going on, guys?"

"Ranger's back. He's okay, physically, although weak from hunger and exhaustion, but the mission was hard. I can't go into a lot of details. Hell, I don't have that many to begin with, but I know there were many innocent lives taken, lots of things that went wrong. Even though he isn't personally responsible, you know how Ranger gets. He has the weight of all of it on his shoulders. He barely spoke to anyone when he came in. Didn't look up or say anything other than ask about you, Bomber."

The tears that had been threatening to fall finally couldn't be held back, and I began to sob.

"He won't be the old Ranger right away, Steph," Bobby said quietly. "He may try to push you away. He may not respond much to you at all. He'll just need some time. Be patient with him. Also, just coming off a bad mission, he may be unpredictable. Take this panic button with you and push it if you need us. We'll be up there in less than a minute."

I nodded, wiping away my tears before climbing off Lester's lap. I took the button from Bobby, stuck it in the pocket of my cargo pants, and headed out the door to the stairs. Running up them two at a time, I found myself standing outside the door to the apartment less than a minute later.

I knocked quietly, and when I didn't get a response, I opened the door using my key fob. I walked in and called out his name softly. When I again didn't get a response, I slowly made my way back to the bedroom. My heart dropped when I saw Ranger curled up on the bed.

Without going into the room, I called his name quietly. "Ranger, are you awake?"

I saw him nod, so I slowly made my way to the bed and sank down on it. I cautiously put my hand on his arm, and he sighed.

I decided we both could use a nap, so I pulled off my boots and pants, took off the hat, and pulled my hair loose. Then I climbed onto the bed and lay down beside him.

"I'm here if you need me," I whispered to him. Then I closed my eyes and wept silently before falling asleep.

I woke up a few hours later to Lester standing over me. "You okay, Beautiful?" he asked quietly.

I nodded and pointed to the living room, holding up one finger. He looked back at Ranger once before heading out of the room.

I pulled on the shorts I had by the bed and walked into the living room. Tank gave me a sack from the Tasty Pastry and a cup of coffee and asked how Ranger had been overnight.

"I'm not sure," I said. "I think he slept a good portion of it. I don't think he had any nightmares, because I think I'd have woken up if he had, but he never said a word. He nodded when I first got up here and asked if he was awake, but he just lay there the rest of the time; he didn't touch me or move that I can tell."

"Yeah, I figured that's how it would go down," Bobby said. "Just give him some time. Let him take a couple more days and then we'll start forcing him out of bed."

"Thanks, guys. I don't..." I choked over the lump in my throat. "I couldn't have made it through the last few months without each and everyone of you giving me your support. I love you all and I'm so glad we've become friends."

"Steph, we're family. We love you," Hal said.

I nodded my gratitude. "I don't want to go far from him today. Can someone sit with him while I run down to the gym and work out?"

"I can, Beautiful," Lester said.

"Hal and I have a skip to go after," said Bobby, "but call me if you need anything."

Tank said, "I need to get downstairs. There's a prospective client coming in this afternoon and I want to look over the info we have for them."

I nodded and headed out with all the guys except Lester.

~oooOOOooo~

**One Week After Ranger Returned**

I slipped out of Ranger's arms, got dressed quietly, kissed his cheek, and whispered I loved him. After grabbing my keys and gun, I headed down to the control room. I told Lester I didn't need him yet today.

"I'm headed to the bonds office to talk to Lula. I need some retail therapy, so we're going to go shopping. I'll pick up the files for us, and we can go out this afternoon. That sound good?"

"Yeah, Beautiful. You have your tracker and panic button?"

I nodded and then paused. "He's not getting much better, Les. I'm scared," I admitted.

"Bobby said it might take a while, Steph. He's holding you when you sleep now. That's a step in the right direction. You've gotten him to eat and drink enough that Bobby hasn't needed to put an IV in him yet. So there's progress. Just be patient and keep loving him. That'll do more than anything else could."

"Thanks, Les. I'll give you a call when I'm headed back. It'll be shortly after lunch. I think Lula and I are going to Shorty's after shopping."

He tugged my ponytail, and then I headed out to the Cayenne. When I pulled up to the office, Lula rushed out to the car, files in her hand.

"Skanky bitch Joyce is in there. Figured you wouldn't want to deal with her, so Connie said to give you these. Now, let's go shopping!"

I laughed. Lula certainly knew how to brighten my day.

We hit Macy's first. I found a few shirts and a skirt, as well as a new pair of FMPs. After Macy's, we hit Claire's for some new earrings. By that time, we were both starving. Lula said she wanted to stop at Pleasure Treasures on the way to Shorty's, so I drove us over.

"I'll stay out in the car and look over my folders for later," I told her.

She nodded and left the car.

Several minutes later, the front doors of the car jerked open, and the next thing I felt was a fist hitting my face and a sting in my arm before my world went dark.


	3. Chapter 2B: Ranger's Letter to Steph

_Disclaimer still applies._

~oooOOOooo~

**Chapter 2B: Ranger's Letter to Steph**

_Babe,_

_As I write this letter, you're asleep in my bed, and I want nothing more than to curl up with you and hold you the rest of the night. As you'll already know when you get this, unfortunately, I can't do that. I don't know when I'll be able to again._

_Stephanie, you have more heart than I ever thought was possible in a human being. No matter your situation, you're constantly thinking of others first. You opened your heart to Lula when she lay battered and broken on your fire escape. When others cried murder, you never believed me guilty; instead, you only asked, "Are you okay?"_

_No matter how many times their words hurt you, you forgave your mom and Joe. A lot of people would have given up and told them to kiss off, but not my Babe. Your heart is what I love most about you, querida. Your love is unending, even with those that may not deserve it. I can only hope you have room in your heart to love me as much I love you._

_Babe, you're the strongest woman I've ever known. You may not have the same level of physical endurance as others, but you've been through more in the last seven years than most people have to deal with in a lifetime. Never once have you given up. Your strength is the second thing I love about you. I want you to know that you don't always have to be strong. I want you to learn that you can lean on others for help when you need it, and it doesn't make you weak. Sometimes, asking others for help can only make us stronger._

_Another thing I love about you is your unrivaled courage. You have more courage than many of the men I trained with during my time in the Army. Though I know at times you're scared, your courage pushes you to overcome your fear. If I had a nickel for every time you were scared and stuck to your guns, I could fund a trip to that third world country everyone is always worried I'll send them to. I also want you to know that being scared isn't always a bad thing. Sometimes, fear can help you recognize when you're safe and when you aren't._

_Finally, you have a tenacity that tends to get you into trouble. That same tenacity has made the world a better place a hundred times over. Your tenacity is another thing I love about you. Don't ever forget that your tenacity is what makes you so amazing at your job. Whether it's searches or distractions for RangeMan or finding skips for Vinnie, when you get a mission, you won't let go until that mission is complete. I'm not sure I know anyone else that is quite as persistent as you. You constantly amaze me._

_Babe, I may be gone for months. As much as it pains me to admit to you, I may never come back. I promise you, though, that I will make every effort to get myself home safely._

_In return, I want to ask you to promise me a few things. When I'm away from you, I worry. I worry for your safety, I worry for your sanity, I worry for your health. And when I worry, it can be distracting sometimes. For me, please consider these suggestions. I won't love you any less if you choose not to, but I'll be thinking of you and imagining you following them, and it'll give me comfort and strength while I'm away._

_First, I want you to stay here. Your apartment is about as far from secure as you could get without being down on Stark Street. If you're here, not only is the building secure, but you'll always have support at the other end of the intercom. Whether it be food from Ella or help with a skip from the guys, every single person in this building would do whatever they can to make you happy and keep you safe. When I get home, I hope to talk to you about making the move permanent. If you can't think of that yet, I understand. It'll be enough if you can just consider the place yours, or ours, while I'm away._

_Second, I want you to start training with the guys. Start running every day you can. You don't have to run a marathon at first, Babe. Practice running a mile first and then build up from there. Running helps keep your heart healthy, and it also helps when your skip decides to do just that: run away from you. Plus, just think... The more exercise you do, the less you have to worry about dessert, and I know you love that part!_

_Another part of training is self-defense and hand-to-hand combat. For the same reason as running, it'll help make you more confident and will help hone your takedown skills. You're already very good at your job without any training. Can you imagine if you had a little bit of training to go along with your natural skills? You'd be simply outstanding._

_Finally, and this may be the hardest part for you, I want you to start carrying your gun with you everywhere. Not just carrying it, but carrying it loaded. You have the permit, now use it. I know you hate guns, Babe. But if it comes down to it, you know they can mean the difference between life or death. Think back to Scrog. If Julie hadn't been brave enough to shoot him, all three of us would most likely be dead. As bad as carrying it is, not having it when it's a life or death moment is even worse._

_Ask one of the guys to teach you to shoot better. Not just with your gun, but with a variety of weapons. If you can shoot, I'll know you can protect yourself better if it comes down to it. Once you start practicing, it'll become second nature and you won't even notice its presence._

_Above all, though, I love you, Stephanie. I love you with all my heart. No restrictions, no reservations. When I get home, I hope to find you safe and sound and as deeply in love with me as I am with you._

_Stephanie, me enamoré de la primera vez que te vi. Cada día me enamoro más de ti. Espero que le hacen a mi esposa un día de estos, para mostrarte y todos los demás que mi amor es de nunca acabar. I fell in love with you the first time I saw you. Every day, I fall more and more in love. I hope to someday soon make you my wife, to show you and everyone around us that my love is never ending._

_I love you, Babe, and I am so very proud of you. Know that, above all else._

_Carlos_


	4. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer still applies._

~oooOOOooo~

_**Previously...**_

_**One Week After Ranger Returned**_

_We hit Macy's first. I found a few shirts and a skirt, as well as a new pair of FMPs. After Macy's, we hit Claire's for some new earrings. By that time, we were both starving. Lula said she wanted to stop at Pleasure Treasures on the way to Shorty's, so I drove us over._

_"I'll stay out in the car and look over my folders for later," I told her._

_She nodded and left the car._

_Several minutes later, the front doors of the car jerked open, and the next thing I felt was a fist hitting my face and a sting in my arm before my world went dark._

~oOo~

**Chapter 3  
Lester's POV**

The phone rang and I picked it up from my seat in the control room.

"Lester, is that you?"

"Yeah. Lula? Where's Steph? What happened?"

I felt my stomach roll. I started punching in the info to bring up the tracker for the Cayenne and then put the phone on speaker so Junior could listen in.

"She's gone, Lester. I was inside, and when I came out, the car was here. Her purse, the files, it's all here. Her gun and stun gun were tossed to the floor, but she's gone." Her voice had gotten very high and she was becoming hysterical.

Junior looked at me and I nodded. He ran out of the room.

"Okay, Lula, calm down. You're at Pleasure Treasures on Maple? Stay there. We'll be right there."

Tank, Hal, and Bobby came running back into the room.

"What's going on?" Tank barked.

"Lula and Steph stopped at Pleasure Treasures on their way to lunch. Lula went in and Steph stayed in the car. Lula came out a few minutes later and Steph was gone. Her stuff is still there, including her gun and stun gun."

"Let's move," Tank commanded. "I'll call Cal and Hector on the way there and have them take over here."

We ran to our trucks and screamed out of the parking lot, headed to the store on Maple. Racing into the parking lot at Pleasure Treasures, we saw Lula standing on the sidewalk in front of the car.

I jumped out and immediately went to the driver's door of the Cayenne while Tank headed to Lula. I saw Steph's gun, stun gun, and her purse, which contained the tracker pen she'd gotten from Ranger a few months before the last mission...and then my heart stopped.

"Tank! Get over here."

The guys and Lula came running.

I pointed to the small splatter of blood on the driver's side window and the note that had been tossed to the floor with Steph's gun.

Bobby looked at the blood. "Looks like Steph took a punch to the face and they bloodied her nose or split her lip. Not a lot of blood. Nothing to worry about by itself." Then he picked something up from under the car. "This, on the other hand, means business." He held up an empty syringe.

Hal pulled on a pair of gloves and picked up the folded note.

~oOo~

_To Ms. Plum's family and friends,_

_Stephanie Plum ruined my brother's life by sending him back to jail._

_I couldn't help my brother then, but I can help him now._

_Don't bother looking for her._

_You won't find her._

_Signed,  
A 'fan' of Stephanie's_

~oOo~

"Hal, Bobby, you guys stay here and process the car. Lester and I'll drop Lula off at the bonds office and head back home. I know he's out of it, but Ranger needs to know. We'll meet you back there when you finish." Tank's voice was low and full of worry for Steph, but his face was blank.

We dropped Lula off and raced back to RangeMan. Once inside, we put our hands up to stop the questions coming from the guys and raced up the stairs to the seventh floor.

Tank used his key fob to get us inside, and we slowly made our way back to the bedroom. Ranger was lying on his back, his eyes open and staring at the ceiling.

"Ranger, you awake?" Tank asked. When he got no response except a flicker of the eyes, he went on. "Manoso, this is important. You need to sit up and listen to me now."

His commanding voice made Ranger look over at us. "What?" he asked harshly.

I moved over toward the bed and sat down on the edge. "Lula and Stephanie went to the mall this morning. They stopped at Pleasure Treasures on the way to lunch so Lula could go in and get something. Steph stayed out in the car. When Lula got back out, Steph was gone."

I went on to describe the scene and tell him everything we knew. By the time I'd finished, Ranger was up on his feet, swaying and trying to keep his balance.

Tank moved over to him and led him to the shower. "Get a fast shower, man. Wake yourself up. Stephanie needs you. You be okay here, or need me to stay?"

"I'm fine. Give me five minutes and I'll meet you in the conference room."

I stood and headed out. Before I got to the door, I turned around and said in a strong voice, "Steph is good, Ranger. She's been training hard since you had to go away. She's strong, and you more than anyone know how tough she is. She'll get through this. We'll find her. But she needs you to be strong for her now. Don't fuck it up."

Tank and I turned and headed out of the bedroom and out the door of the apartment to the conference room downstairs.

~oooOOOooo~

**Ranger's POV**

I threw myself into the shower, taking two minutes to scrub and wake myself up before jumping out and throwing on clothes. I tied my hair back, grabbed my keys, and then ran out the door.

When I got to the conference room, Tank and Lester were there.

"Report!" I barked.

"Bobby and Hal are on their way in. They gathered up what evidence they could and called Morelli at the station to give him a heads up. Morelli will have the car brought here," Tank said.

"Boss, I called Connie and got a list of all the male skips that Steph's had a hand in picking up the last six months. I've started Cal running searches on them to see who's where. With the information gathered from the note left behind, hopefully that'll give us enough information to go on to find her." Lester dropped his voice. "Hal and Bobby said it didn't look like they'd left any evidence behind in the car itself or around it."

"Someone get me the results Cal has finished so far. Now!" I shouted.

I put my head down on my desk, sick to my stomach. There was a rap on the door frame and Bobby and Hal walked in with a box of stuff. I sat up and looked at them, waiting for their report.

"No prints on the car that we could find. No prints on the note or Steph's stuff. No prints on the syringe. Morelli was going to run it to the lab personally and sit on their asses until he got the results back for whatever was in there. He'll call with the results when he gets them," Hal said.

Bobby sighed. "It does look like it's Steph's blood type, so we have to assume it's hers. From what I could tell, I'm guessing Steph was surprised by someone who immediately punched her in the face to stun her, and then they dosed her up with whatever was in the syringe. That's the only way they could have gotten to her. She was carrying and is so much more trained now..." His voice trailed off.

I felt a surge of adrenaline. "Bobby, you stay on Morelli about the drug in the syringe. Send the blood sample to the lab to verify it's Stephanie's. Hal, you ride Cal's ass and help him out with the searches. When you have a small stack done, bring them in here and Lester can start going over them to try to find anything of interest. Tank and I are going to go canvas the area and talk to some sources. Call if you find out _anything_," I stressed.

~oooOOOooo~

**Two Weeks After Ranger Returned / One Week After Stephanie Went Missing  
Bobby's POV**

After checking in on the boss to find him nearly catatonic on his couch, I headed to Tank's office.

"Tank, man, we gotta do something. I haven't seen him this bad—ever. He's strong, but this is beating him."

I knew the mission Ranger had just returned from had been worse than hellish. I'd told the guys and Steph that it could be months before he was back and near whole. His love for Steph and hers for him was what kept him from shattering completely. She'd just begun to get through to him, getting him to eat, drink, and reach out for comfort, when she'd been kidnapped.

Tank nodded quietly, raising his brow for me to continue.

"With his body and mind in such a weakened and depressed state, the powerless-ness he feels right now, not being able to find and rescue her, is pushing him over the edge. He's feeling extremely vulnerable, which is leaving him absolutely raw and unarmored. Unmilitary, even. If he'd been whole when this happened, he'd have been raring to go all day and night to find her. As it is now, even the strongest of men can only last so long. I'm going to give him an ultimatum. Either he eats and tries to sleep, or I'll drug him. When the time comes to get her—" I sighed "—or let her go...he'll need some strength."

Tank nodded and we headed to Ranger's office to face the lion.

~oooOOOooo~

**Ranger's POV**

I sat on the couch in my office, trying to throw up but getting nothing but dry heaves. I hadn't eaten anything or slept in a week and could barely hold down water.

"Ranger, if you don't eat something and try to get some sleep, I'll force you," Bobby said menacingly. "You're doing her no good by destroying yourself."

"What does it matter?" I said quietly. "She's gone and we have absolutely no leads."

"We'll find her, Ranger, but until we do, you're in no shape to help."

"I'm fine," I grumbled.

Bobby sighed and left my office. I sat there for a long time until Tank came up and put his hand on my shoulder.

"Carlos, don't do this, man. Take care of yourself so you can help take care of Bomber."

I glared at him and looked away, staring down at my lap. Suddenly, I felt a prick in my arm and shouted, "What the fuck?"

I tried to stand, but my legs suddenly felt like lead. The last thing I remembered was Tank's voice saying, "I've got you, man. Rest now."

~oooOOOooo~

**Tank's POV**

_Shit, Ranger is so going to kill me_, I thought to myself as I watched him collapse into my arms.

Bobby, Hal, and Lester came in, and we each grabbed a hold of Ranger and headed to the elevator. We took him up to the seventh floor and deposited him on the bed. We didn't try to get him comfortable, other than removing his shoes. Hal agreed to stay up there with him, so the rest of us headed back downstairs.

Honestly, we weren't sure where to go next. We were still running down the list of Steph's skips, but as each day dragged on, it got less and less likely we would find something that could lead us to her. We weren't giving up, though. Stephanie wouldn't give up on us, so there's no way we could treat her any differently.

~oooOOOooo~

**Fifteen Days After Ranger Returned / Eight Days After Stephanie Went Missing  
Stephanie's POV**

My head was killing me. My body felt more bruised and broken than it had in a damn long time. I'd been stripped, although I was still in my bra and panties. It didn't seem like the man who'd taken me was interested in using me for anything other than a punching bag. I supposed that was a definite blessing.

I heard him moving around upstairs and knew he was leaving for the morning. I'd been keeping track of time in my head, using the shadows from under the door and light from the tiny window at the top of the wall. I'd been gone eight days.

In the first five of those eight days, I'd been working on keeping my wits about me and learning how not to pass out for a huge length of time after he beat me. The last two days, I'd been trying to find something to unlock the cuffs with. I didn't think he'd found the panic button in the pocket of my jeans yet, so if I could get the cuffs off, I could hit that and the knights would come rescue me.

Finally, the night before, I was able to pick a piece of the wooden chair that I thought would work to pick the handcuffs. Now it was all a matter of waiting for him to leave.

I heard him slam the door and then I heard an engine from far away take off. I waited for about thirty minutes before stretching my hand up and starting to work the lock on the cuffs. It took me thirty minutes to get them unlocked and another fifteen to get my leg cuffs off.

I ran over to my clothes as quickly as my sore body would allow and put them on, throwing my hand in the pocket and pushing the panic button. Then I slowly climbed the stairs, listening closely. I heard nothing, so I cracked the door and walked out of the basement, into a hallway off the living room of the house I'd been brought to.

I saw a phone over on the wall and ran to it, dialing RangeMan immediately.

Tank's voice boomed out over the phone. "Bomber?"

"Oh, God! Tank! Please, help me!"

"Where are you, Stephanie?" he asked. "Your panic button was just activated."

"It was in my jeans, and I was handcuffed to the chair. I don't know where I am. The fucker just left for the morning. I was able to pick my way out of the handcuffs and leave the basement I was in."

"Okay, Steph, put the phone down, run out and see if you can see a street and a house number, and then come right back here."

I quickly put the phone down on the counter and raced to the front door. When I opened it, it was bright outside, and I saw that I was in a run-down neighborhood. I found the street sign and looked at the numbers on the house as I ran back in.

After telling Tank the address, I quickly said, "I've got to get out of here before he comes back. I'll head east until I find someplace safe to hide. Come get me, please!"

I hung up the phone and ran back out the front door and around to the alley, running as fast as my sore muscles and cracked ribs would allow. After four blocks, I couldn't run any more. I found a big shrub in front of one of the houses and crawled behind it. I could see all the way down the street, but I was hidden.

Fifteen minutes later, I saw three big black SUVs pulling up down the street. I left my hiding place and began walking in their direction. They must have seen me because I noticed one truck peel off toward me. Within a minute, the truck jerked to a stop beside me and Tank, Lester, and Bobby jumped out.

I started to see black spots behind my eyelids, so I said as quickly as I could manage, "Broken ribs, sprained ankle, head hurts..."

The last thing I remembered was Lester wrapping his arms around me and pulling me to his chest.

~oooOOOooo~

**Lester's POV**

I grabbed Steph just as she was about to hit the ground.

Tank said, "Let's go. Santos, you drive. Drop me off back there at the house with the others. You guys take Steph back to RangeMan and see what she needs. When this is done, I'll get a ride back with the others."

Bobby and I nodded as Tank climbed into the passenger seat and Bobby got in the back. I laid Steph across the back seat with her head in his lap and then climbed in the driver's seat. When we got back to the other vehicles, Tank jumped out and immediately headed toward the rest of the men. Within two minutes of finding Steph, we were headed back to RangeMan.

"I don't think there's anything too wrong with her. She looks beaten up pretty bad, but it didn't sound like the broken ribs have damaged anything yet. She was lucid and was acting pretty damn smart, so she may have a concussion, but I doubt it. I think she's just severely dehydrated and malnourished. She should be okay soon," Bobby said, glancing at my worried expression in the rear view mirror.

I nodded and got out my phone to call Junior, who had volunteered to stay back with Ranger; he was still asleep due to the drugs Bobby had given him and the natural exhaustion his body was feeling. I updated Junior and told him to let the guys downstairs know we'd be there in less than fifteen.

My next call was to Morelli. I told him we'd found Steph and updated him as to her condition. I said he was welcome to come to RangeMan, to which he replied he'd be there in an hour.

When we pulled into and parked in the RangeMan garage, I carefully pulled Steph from the vehicle. We hurried into the elevator and up to the fourth floor to Bobby's office.

By the time Morelli got there, Steph had been x-rayed and her ribs taped up. There was a bandage on her left ankle and an IV in her arm. Bobby had also given her a mild sedative to help her rest for a while.

~oooOOOooo~

**Joe's POV**

I walked into the room where they had Steph and my heart broke. She had two black eyes, bruises all over her chest, arms, and legs, and a bandage around her ankle. They said she'ld be okay, that there'd been no permanent damage, but to see her like that nearly killed me.

"Cupcake," I whispered, bending down and giving her a soft kiss on the forehead.

I turned back and motioned to Lester that I wanted to speak to him out in the hall.

"Have you found the guy?"

"Not yet," he said, "but we will."

"Good. I don't want to know about it, but I don't want to see him in the station or I'll have to kill him myself."

Lester nodded, understanding what I meant.

"Call me when she's conscious, please. I want to make sure she's okay."

He nodded again.

"How's Ranger?"

Lester frowned. "About what you'd expect. His mission ended badly. He was just beginning to heal when Stephanie was taken. Bobby drugged him last night because he was so dehydrated and exhausted and he wouldn't eat or sleep. It should wear off tomorrow. Knowing Bomber's safe will help him a lot."

I sighed. "Thanks for finding her. We're just friends now, as you know, but I'll always love her."

He nodded. "Steph did the work. She got herself out of it and told us where to find her. She's an amazing woman."

I agreed and said goodbye, walking off toward the elevator to head out.

~oooOOOooo~

**Sixteen Days After Ranger Returned / One Day After Stephanie Was Found  
Stephanie's POV**

I slowly came out of the blurry fog I'd been in, and when I tried to sit up, it hurt and I cried out.

"Easy, Steph," Bobby said. "You have one broken and three cracked ribs. Other than that, you're okay. You're safe."

I lay back down and groaned. "How's Ranger?"

Bobby chuckled. "Out like a baby. I had to drug him because he was so frantic about you that he wasn't taking good care of himself. He should be about ready to wake up. Would you like to go upstairs so you can be there when he does?"

I nodded, not trusting my voice.

Bobby called Lester, and three minutes later, Lester walked in with a big smile on his face. "Hey, Beautiful! Lookin' much better!"

"Thanks, Les," I said. "Can you take me up to Ranger? Bobby said I can go up and be there when he wakes up."

Lester nodded and carefully picked me up. We made the trip to the elevator quietly. "Hey, Steph, don't worry. We'll get the guy."

"Thanks, Les. Hey, how long has it been since I called?" I put my head on his chest and waited for us to get to the apartment.

"About six hours, Beautiful. Bobby gave you a light sedative to sleep so he could give you x-rays and bandage your ribs without you being awake for it."

I nodded. "I'm tired. When we get upstairs, please just put me in bed beside him and let me rest there."

~oOo~

**Four Hours Later**

I was lying on my side facing Ranger when I felt him start to stir. I reached over with one hand and lightly began brushing my hand across his cheek. Ranger jerked awake but didn't open his eyes.

I wanted to ease him into reality, so I quietly said, "Carlos, listen to my voice. You're okay. You're home. You're safe."

I felt him stir and continued talking quietly. "Carlos, it's me, Stephanie. I'm okay. I'm home. I'm safe. I love you. Please, wake up and look at me."

Suddenly, I heard, "Babe?" in a scratchy voice.

"Yes, Carlos, I'm here."

"I love you, too." He opened his eyes and smiled softly.

~oooOOOooo~

**Two Hours Later  
Lester's POV**

I picked up the phone and dialed a number.

"Hello?" a tired voice answered.

"Hey, Morelli. Just wanted to give you a heads up. Steph and Ranger are both awake. Steph's going to be okay, and..." I paused before continuing. "She's safe. She doesn't have to worry about the guy anymore."

"Thanks, Lester. Tell her I said I'll come by and visit as soon as she's up for a visitor, and tell Ranger I'm glad for her sake that he made it home in one piece."

"I will, man."

I hung up and went to pick up some Pino's for the lovebirds upstairs. If anything would make Bossman and Beautiful heal faster, it was a big salad for him and a big meatball sub and dessert for her. I was laughing for the first time in a while as I stepped out the door into the sunshine because I knew that everything would be all right.

**The End**


End file.
